Reply by StumpyNubs

I use a vent free wall mounted natural gas heater. It cost me a couple hundred bucks, I installed it myself and it keeps everything toasty warm even in the cold Michigan winters. I also have a 2 story house that I heat with a single vent free natural gas fireplace. I never use the furnace.

Why spend all that money? Go get the largest vent free wall unit you can get (It will cost less than $400). It will also cost a lot less to use because vent free is so much more efficient.

Don’t waste your money on one with a blower. It’s much better to just get a big exhaust fan and hang it from the ceiling near the heater angled toward the floor. That does a MUCH better job pulling the hot air down from the ceiling and circulating it throughout the shop. In fact, you can even build an overhead shop air filter that will double as an air circulator for heating. Just make it so it pulls air from the ceiling and exhausts it toward the floor.

It’s also well suited to your schedule. Set it on the lowest setting (buy one with a thermostat) and keep the air circulating when you’re not in the shop. It’ll keep things above freezing for next to nothing, and when you work in the shop it’ll take only a short time to warm up.

I’m telling you this from experience. You’ll be just as happy going this way and you can take all that cost savings and buy some nice tools!